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UPDATE:NOWOVERTWOMILESLONG! Caravan Swells to Well Over 7,200; Mexico Police Stand Down as Illegal Migrants March to US

by Kristinn Taylor October 21, 2018

(Update at end) The illegal migrant caravan is sweeping through Chiapas in southern Mexico on Sunday, their numbers having jumped to over 7,000 overnight from just a few thousand as it became apparent the caravan would not be stopped by Mexico. After blocking the migrants on a bridge Friday, Mexican officials allowed the migrants to swim and raft across the Suchiate River from Guatemala into Mexico Saturday and then regroup in a riverside park. Mexico also allowed over 600 women and children to legally enter for processing on Saturday.

Reports from the caravan state that on two occasions Mexican federal police stood in formation to meet the caravan as the migrants staged a massive march up a highway. As the migrants approached both times the Mexican police stood down and let them pass. A Mexican official was reported to have said they can’t stop 7,200 people.

Kate Linthicum with the Los Angeles Times reported on the two failed attempts to stop the caravan Sunday: “I’m only just realizing the massive scale of this caravan as they march north into Mexico. It’s several thousand people. Just look…A group of immigration agents stopped the caravan to ask them to apply for asylum in Mexico. The caravan blew past them…The caravan just swept past a large contingent of Mexican federal police, who didn’t do anything to stop them…”

Buzzfeed’s Karla Zabbs reported the increased numbers in the caravan cited by Mexican authorities, “Federal Migration Commissioner: ppl will be taken to a shelter and won’t be able to leave the state of Chiapas till their visas are processed (but impossible to stop 7,200+ ppl).” (Zabbs also took a cheap shot at President Trump: “Wish you could feel heat through Twitter. Everyone looks like they just walked out of the shower (87F and a sun that feels as vicious as Trump).”)